Legal Research

Justice Watchers Hope Attorney General Eric Holder Will Reach Out to Experts

By David Badertscher, PLL

Source: Crime and Justice News, February 3, 2009.

"Criminal justice advocates are hoping that the U.S. Justice Department under newly confirmed Attorney General Eric Holder will increase outreach to organizations in the field. 'I hope the department will take a leadership role in developing better relations with all aspects of the justice system,' said Virginia Sloan, of The Constitution Project, at the annual Harry Frank Guggenheim Symposium on Crime in America at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Sloan cited criminal defense lawyers, Congress and the judiciary among groups she said had been 'left out in the cold' by the Bush administration."

"Symposium panelist Ethan Nadelmann of the Drug Policy Alliance said he feared the addition of thousands of police officers under the economic stimulus bill pending in Congress would lead to more arrests and imprisonment for drug defendants. Laurie Robinson, acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs, noted that under some versions of the bill, money could be used for police jobs other than patrol officers, such as forensic analysts. Criminologist Alfred Blumstein of Carnegie Mellon University expressed hope that the Obama administration would restore the balance between traditional law enforcement and anti-terrorism, saying 'we've become obsessed' with homeland security."

Crime & Justice News/The Crime Report

Full post as published by New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library on February 03, 2009 (boomark / email).